We don’t want people to recognise us: Daft Punk

In an exclusive interview, iconic French electronica duo Daft Punk explain why they choose to keep their identities hidden

Within days of the release of Daft Punk’s latest single, Get lucky (on April 19), from their new album Random Access Memories, countless covers of the same started surfacing on YouTube. From a metal version to an a cappella one, the song was reprised, rehashed and rearranged to fit every mood. The French electronica duo, known for their iconic onstage costumes which include robotic helmets, couldn’t have asked for a better comeback.

In this exclusive interview, they talk about their new album that comes eight years after their previous (in 2010, they composed the film score for Tron: Legacy), their famed outfits and the challenge of reinventing themselves.

Why did it take eight years to come up with a new album?After having made three albums, we were looking for the fourth. Everything now changes at a frantic speed. Our previous album seems to have been released a lifetime ago. We just created a timeless bubble around us for the last five years in order to create the music we wanted to listen to. We want the music of Random Access Memories to be remembered for life by the listeners, so we were busy preparing for the album.

Your USP includes your visuals and costumes. Does an electronica act feel the pressure to provide audiences with unique stage presence?Yes, our biggest USP is our costumes; we don’t want people to recognise us. It also fits the style of our music. Our audience loves to see us in costumes; it makes us different from the crowd, and people remember us easily.

How challenging is it to keep reinventing yourself while keeping your signature sound intact?It is difficult, but exciting. We never wanted to take the easy route. But the creative process is what made the journey worth it. The concept of the Daft Punk album is about allowing dance music to have an organic sound, but still making it catchy.